Famous people spotted on boats, planes & trains
Discussion
So have you really seen the likes of Lionel Messi on Turkish Airlines, or even Vic Reeves on East Coast Mainline?
My only "spot" en route so far was none other than David Bellamy, seated alone in a 2nd Class BR Mark 1 carriage compartment on the Midland Mainline in 1982. He kindly signed autographs.
Can anyone beat that?
Happier hunting grounds tend to be airports, where I have spotted such luminaries as Pat Jennings, Jill Douglas, Brian May and the unmistakeable Carlos Valderama, as well as some Bollywood actor at Delhi airport, whom everyone was taking photos of.
My only "spot" en route so far was none other than David Bellamy, seated alone in a 2nd Class BR Mark 1 carriage compartment on the Midland Mainline in 1982. He kindly signed autographs.
Can anyone beat that?
Happier hunting grounds tend to be airports, where I have spotted such luminaries as Pat Jennings, Jill Douglas, Brian May and the unmistakeable Carlos Valderama, as well as some Bollywood actor at Delhi airport, whom everyone was taking photos of.
About 35 years ago, Rolf Harris on a train. He drew a cartoon each for me and several mates and signed them all. Unfortunately I put the cartoon, for safe keeping, inside a thick book at my parent's home (where I lived at the time) and then they had a clear out and got rid of loads of old books....
More recently, stood next to Nigel Farage on the escalator down to the platform at Ebbsfleet Eurostar station.
More recently, stood next to Nigel Farage on the escalator down to the platform at Ebbsfleet Eurostar station.
A few of trhe random ones
Nigel Mansell on a flight from Orlando (lots and lots of other motorsport people as I travel to/ from races around the world)
Darts legend Bobby George on RyanAir flight (never again!!) to Treviso
Harry Carpenter on train back from Yorkshire to London (morning after a. my wedding and b. bradford Fire disaster)
Terry Waite, Robert Lindsay, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and John Thaw on the Tube
Gave Morgan Freeman directions from King's Cross last year
Andrew Marr, Jeremy Vine, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Callow, Michael Palin, Tanni Grey Thompson and Andrew Neill - all randomly at King's Cross
Richard Blackwood at Waterloo
Stopped Ian Hislop from taking a wrong turn (onto the tracks!) at Waterloo East a few years back
Cecil Parkinson on a train to York
Ex f1 star Philippe Alliot on flight to Bahrain
Nigel Mansell on a flight from Orlando (lots and lots of other motorsport people as I travel to/ from races around the world)
Darts legend Bobby George on RyanAir flight (never again!!) to Treviso
Harry Carpenter on train back from Yorkshire to London (morning after a. my wedding and b. bradford Fire disaster)
Terry Waite, Robert Lindsay, Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and John Thaw on the Tube
Gave Morgan Freeman directions from King's Cross last year
Andrew Marr, Jeremy Vine, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Callow, Michael Palin, Tanni Grey Thompson and Andrew Neill - all randomly at King's Cross
Richard Blackwood at Waterloo
Stopped Ian Hislop from taking a wrong turn (onto the tracks!) at Waterloo East a few years back
Cecil Parkinson on a train to York
Ex f1 star Philippe Alliot on flight to Bahrain
Former England batsman Graham Thorpe on a train from Nottingham to London.
I was tempted to speak to him but 2 scouse squaddies joined the train at either Beeston or East Midlands Parkway and sat opposite him. They obviously didn't recognise him as the only thing they asked him was if the Ratcliffe-on-soar power station was nuclear. However, when the ticket inspector caught up with them they did genuinely ask for a ticket from "Low Brow".
I was tempted to speak to him but 2 scouse squaddies joined the train at either Beeston or East Midlands Parkway and sat opposite him. They obviously didn't recognise him as the only thing they asked him was if the Ratcliffe-on-soar power station was nuclear. However, when the ticket inspector caught up with them they did genuinely ask for a ticket from "Low Brow".
As a train driver I've chauffeured a fair few well known people,however the most important person is someone I had no idea who they where.All I do know is he had 4 armed body guards on the train, the run from Brum to Piccadilly was done without seeing a singlel caution signal until the our final approach to Picc and 2more (diplomatic protection?)well dressed gentlemen with bulges under their jackets and ear thingies escorted him to 750iL.Labour Party Conference was in town so guessing he was on his way there.
Easter 1986: shared a Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar with the Nepalese Prime Minister. on leaving the aircraft we were greeted by a large welcoming party of local ladies and my sister and i were presented with dozens of flower garlands (marigolds i think). I guess they thought we were with the PM! we were actually just en-route to Dharan to meet up with friends who lived in Dhankuta. (civil engineers building water supplies to villages)
we spent two weeks in the mountains including a week trekking through rhododendron forests in the Himalayan foothills to a place where we could see a clear view of Everest. I was 6 years old and walked every step of the way whilst my younger sister was carried in a basket on the back of a flip flop wearing Sherpa (called Ratner, much to my parent's amusement).
We returned to Biratnagar a fortnight later to find we would be sharing the return flight with Sir Edmund Hillary! i was seriously impressed having spent pretty much the whole trip talking about and drawing pictures of Everest. Got a good pic of me standing with him in the departure lounge, with me about as tall as his knee! i should have really got him to sign my drawing of Everest in the holiday diary i was doing for school.
Our journey home was fun too.. the return flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was delayed as the plane was stuck in Pakistan due to storms and we missed the connection to Paris. in those days there was only one flight a week and so Air France put us in a five star hotel (with a waterfall and lake in the atrium) and i missed a week of school- best holiday ever!
since then the only one i can remember is Max Clifford who was on our flight back from Malaga last year. I wasn't so impressed with that.
we spent two weeks in the mountains including a week trekking through rhododendron forests in the Himalayan foothills to a place where we could see a clear view of Everest. I was 6 years old and walked every step of the way whilst my younger sister was carried in a basket on the back of a flip flop wearing Sherpa (called Ratner, much to my parent's amusement).
We returned to Biratnagar a fortnight later to find we would be sharing the return flight with Sir Edmund Hillary! i was seriously impressed having spent pretty much the whole trip talking about and drawing pictures of Everest. Got a good pic of me standing with him in the departure lounge, with me about as tall as his knee! i should have really got him to sign my drawing of Everest in the holiday diary i was doing for school.
Our journey home was fun too.. the return flight from Kathmandu to Delhi was delayed as the plane was stuck in Pakistan due to storms and we missed the connection to Paris. in those days there was only one flight a week and so Air France put us in a five star hotel (with a waterfall and lake in the atrium) and i missed a week of school- best holiday ever!
since then the only one i can remember is Max Clifford who was on our flight back from Malaga last year. I wasn't so impressed with that.
George Best , on a flight to Aberdeen about 10 years ago. I was going to ask for a signature for a Manu U rabid mate, but then decided that would not be cool.
And more recently, at Baggaeg claim for a flight from Aberdeen, Ray Clemence and Robert Powell collecting their golf clubs. Jesus and one of my all time boy hood heroes.
And more recently, at Baggaeg claim for a flight from Aberdeen, Ray Clemence and Robert Powell collecting their golf clubs. Jesus and one of my all time boy hood heroes.
Jordan: really small and skinny apart from the obviously large appendages.
Donald Findlay QC: (in)famous Scottish lawyer, loud and arrogant.
John Gordon Sinclair: incredibly tall and seemed a decent sort.
All in the last few months on the Glasgow- Heathrow shuttle which I get more often than I care to.
Oh, and Rolf Harris at T5 wearing some sort of bright rug/poncho thing and a cowboy hat.
Incidentally, all pointed out by Mrs horza. I tend not to recognise people when out-of-context.
Donald Findlay QC: (in)famous Scottish lawyer, loud and arrogant.
John Gordon Sinclair: incredibly tall and seemed a decent sort.
All in the last few months on the Glasgow- Heathrow shuttle which I get more often than I care to.
Oh, and Rolf Harris at T5 wearing some sort of bright rug/poncho thing and a cowboy hat.
Incidentally, all pointed out by Mrs horza. I tend not to recognise people when out-of-context.
onyx39 said:
Sat next to a Politician (cannot remember his name, but he had ginger hair) on a flight back from Amsterdam in 2000, the only time I have ever been upgraded. An upgrade on. BMI 737 short haul does not make a huge difference!
Tea... Almost forgot, did a Caribbean Cruise a few years ago and Stu "I could crush a grape" Francis was the "entertainment".... Miserable t
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